1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to improvements in support arrangements for exposed pipes and, more specifically, to a support device for an exposed pipe on a building roof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A variety of devices have been used in the prior art in order to support exposed pipe. Support devices are necessary for a number of reasons, such as to prevent undue strain being placed upon a pipe or coupling. In some cases, it is necessary to support the pipe at a slope with respect to an adjacent support area, such as in the case of condensate drain lines from air conditioning/heating systems, or in the case of sewer pipes and lines.
Commercial buildings often have various types of pipes which are exposed and run along the rooftops of such buildings. For example, it is quite common for air conditioning units to be mounted on a building roof of a commercial building, the air conditioning units having condensate drain pipes which slope from the unit toward an exit point on the rooftop. Other service units are commonly mounted on building roofs which utilize pipes which must be supported, often at a slope with respect to the surrounding rooftop.
At the present time, most mechanical and heating/ventilation contractors hand saw pieces of wood of the desired height to support air conditioner condensate drain pipes. This procedure is time consuming and labor intensive. An adjustable, ready-made device would save time and money.
While various devices are shown in the prior art for supporting pipes, shortcomings continue to exist. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,934, to Pruyne, issued Apr. 30, 1985, shows a pipe supporting device adapted to receive and support an exposed pipe on a building roof. The device has a base with a substantially flat bottom for resting on the roof and an upwardly tapered structure secured on and rising from the base to provide upwardly divergent, V-shaped recesses for receiving the pipe and supporting it above the base. One problem with the device shown in the '934 patent is that the upright portion of the device is not adjustable in length. As a result, it is not possible to vary the overall height of the device except by stacking multiple devices, one upon the other, thereby adding to the cost of the installation. Of course individual devices of the type shown in the '934 patent could be manufactured of different overall heights, however this would lead to additional expense in manufacture and require that the user maintain an inventory of different height devices in order to provide the slope required at the particular job site.
The present invention has as its object to provide a pipe supporting device which is simple in design and economical to manufacture and which can support an exposed pipe at a desired slope with respect to a surrounding support surface, such as a building roof.
Another object of the invention is to provide such a pipe supporting device which has an upright member which is easily adjustable in length in order to provide a pipe supporting device of a selected overall height at the job site.
Another object of the invention is to provide such a pipe supporting device of standard components which can be mass produced at an economical price but which include height adjustment features to allow the standard device to be adjusted an overall height to fit the installation location at hand.